


What Were The Chances

by Hel



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Anal Sex, Dubious Morality, First Time, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Oral Sex, Sibling Incest, Warning: Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 17:06:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8169442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hel/pseuds/Hel
Summary: Loki, a high-class escort, couldn't believe it when he met his new client for the first time. This was what he had been waiting for for years – the perfect opportunity to get back at Odin for disowning him.
Little did he know that his life was about to be turned upside down …





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by the wonderful A., who did a fantastic job. Thank you so much!
> 
> Title from [Strangers In The Night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHuko5BCFzA) by Frank Sinatra.

When the cab rolled to a halt in front of the Dorchester, the first thing Loki did was to check his phone to make sure that he would indeed be precisely on time for his next appointment. Traffic in London was unpredictable at best, even outside of rush hour, and Loki loathed having to wait because he had arrived too early. Being late was not an option, of course. But he found that he had enough time to spare to get to the suite the client had booked without having to hurry. Luck was on his side today.

Loki got out of the cab and entered the lobby of the hotel. He didn't bother to stop at the reception but walked straight towards the lifts like an ordinary hotel guest. He was confident that he would be able to find the way to the suite without needing directions. And his client would probably welcome it if Loki didn't draw any unnecessary attention to their meeting. The escort business relied on discretion, after all, and it wouldn't do to get thrown out of the hotel.

He didn't have to wait long until one of the lifts arrived with a melodic _ding_. The doors opened and he stepped aside to let an elegantly dressed couple exit, acknowledging them with a deferential nod.

The woman gave him a blatant once over. Clearly liking what she saw, she smiled brightly at Loki in return. Her husband, however, turned as white as a sheet. Staring at Loki with wide eyes, he opened his mouth as if to speak before closing it again, apparently thinking better of it. He put a possessive arm around his wife's waist and with a tense "Good evening," he quickly led her past Loki.

Loki smirked, recognizing the man. He was a managing director of one of London's largest banks and Loki had met him in a different hotel for the first time a few months ago. His wife hadn't accompanied him then, though. He hadn't pretended that he didn't know Loki, either. Instead, he had been writhing beneath Loki's hands, begging him for more, _anything, please, just let me come, please let me …_

Shaking his head with amusement, Loki stepped into the lift. It was always nice to know that his clients remembered him. Although, he usually received a much more positive reaction; he had shown them the time of their lives, after all.

Now, however, wasn't the time to lose himself in memories, as pleasant as they might be. He had to focus on his upcoming appointment. There was no one else in the lift and Loki used the opportunity to check his reflection in the lift's mirrored walls. He straightened his tie and combed his fingers through his hair. He had only one chance to make a good first impression. He wasn't going to waste it by looking dishevelled.

~~~

The lift stopped at the sixth floor and Loki exited. He paused for a moment to orient himself. The agency had told him that the client had booked one of the Dorchester Suites for the night. A rather expensive choice, renting an entire suite just for a night of pleasure. But then again, it wasn't as if Loki's clients couldn't afford it.

Checking the numbers on the rooms closest to him, Loki concluded that the suite was the one on the left corner. On his way down the hallway, he tried to imagine who the client might be. As usual, the agency hadn't provided a name to protect the privacy of everyone involved. Loki only knew that his client was male and that he hadn't used the agency's services before. Loki wondered whether he liked rough, kinky sex. Or did he prefer gentle touches and lots of foreplay? What did his cock look like? Could Loki make him scream?

Loki realized that he was actually looking forward to meeting this new client. It had been a while since he had fucked someone who wasn't a regular and he was on the verge of getting bored. Seducing someone new so thoroughly they returned again and again, eager for more, thrilled Loki more than he wanted to admit.

Licking his lips in anticipation, Loki knocked on the door of the suite. He couldn't hear footsteps on the other side, but it didn't take long until the door was opened.

By his brother.

Even though Loki hadn't seen Thor for almost a decade, he recognized him immediately. Tall, athletically built, long blond hair tied back into a messy pony tail. He hadn't changed much in all those years except that he had gained a few more pounds of muscle and looked a bit older, worry lines etched on his face.

Loki saw recognition dawn in Thor's eyes, too, followed by open surprise.

"Loki?" Thor asked, apparently not quite believing his eyes and needing the verbal reassurance. "Is that really you?"

_Of course it's me, you idiot. Who else did you expect?_ Loki almost said before he remembered the reason why he was at the Dorchester, standing at the door of this exact suite at this exact time. He froze, fighting the impulse to laugh hysterically at the irony of the situation. The agency must have given him the wrong room number. And then he had to stumble upon his brother, of all people.

"Thor," he said curtly, once he'd regained the ability to speak.

A blinding smile blossomed on Thor's face. Before Loki knew what was happening, Thor had pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, which lifted him almost off the floor.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Thor said once he'd released Loki from the hug. "You look good, really good …"

His voice trailed off as he slowly looked Loki over from head to toe. It distantly reminded Loki of the way some of his clients checked him out when they saw him for the first time and were assessing the goods, so to speak.

When Thor noticed that Loki was watching him, he quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat. Stepping away from the door, he gestured with a hand and said, "Come on in. Are you okay? It's been so long since I last saw you."

Warily, Loki stepped into the foyer of the suite. There was a small table to one side and on it a vase full of beautiful flowers. Next to that lay a plain white envelope. Even though the envelope was sealed, Loki had received enough of those to guess what was inside without needing to check. His clients always paid him like this up front. Several hundred pounds for an hour of his company, more if they had some extraordinary wishes.

So, Loki hadn't got the wrong suite after all. Thor had indeed unknowingly hired his brother as an escort for the evening.

Thor closed the door behind them. Slinging an arm around Loki's shoulders, he steered him into the suite's living room.

"I can't believe that you're here. Go on, make yourself comfortable." Thor gestured towards the sofas. The expression on Loki's face apparently told him that Loki still considered bolting because he added, "It's been so long since I've last seen you in person. Your letter wasn't nearly enough. Stay, please."

Despite Loki's resolve to not let himself be suckered in by Thor's dejected posture, he caved like he had always done. There was something about his brother's eyes that reminded Loki of a kicked puppy and it got to him, no matter how much he steeled himself against that look.

Annoyed with himself, Loki sat stiffly down on one of the sofas. Thor sat down right next to him so that their knees were almost touching.

"I never thought I'd see you again after –" Thor broke off, looking at Loki with a concerned expression. "Does Father know you're here?"

"No, he doesn't," Loki said.

Thor smiled wryly. "You never really got along, did you?"

Loki snorted. Not getting along was the understatement of the year. He and Odin had fought constantly, their arguments growing more heated as Loki got older. Loki couldn't even remember what had set them off to begin with. He only knew that he had yearned to receive Odin's praise like Thor did. But no matter how much effort he put into pleasing Odin, he had never even got so much as a kind word or a _well done, Loki_. The only thing Loki ever heard in his remarks, was Odin's unspoken _why can't you be more like Thor?_

Everything had got even worse when he had discovered that he had been adopted. The fights that had followed had been vicious. He still remembered with absolute clarity the last words Odin ever said to him. _You're not my son. Get out. I never want to see you again._ And Loki had run away, only sending a letter to Frigga and Thor to let them know that he was still alive and well.

Lost in the unpleasant memories, Loki realized only belatedly that Thor was talking to him. He caught the last part of Thor's sentence, " – cancel my plans."

Thor got up, took out his phone and began to text. Loki watched him as he walked towards the dining table, a question forming in his mind.

Why had Thor made an appointment with an escort agency? He didn't need to hire an escort just to get laid. In the past, Thor had never had any problems with finding willing partners to spend time with, especially once Odin had announced him as the designated heir to Asgard Industries. Shortly after, there had been a whole string of lovers. During this period Loki had even accidentally walked in on Thor and his latest conquest once, an experience that had certainly been eye-opening. It was unlikely that Thor had lost his touch in the years Loki had been gone. So, there had to be another reason why Thor had hired an escort. Maybe something shameful that Thor wanted to remain a secret? Did he have some peculiar tastes that his usual partners didn't share?

Whatever it was that had Thor paying for sex instead of getting it for free, Loki was curious to know why. Thor probably wouldn't tell him outright, though, not if he had something to hide. But Loki wasn't one of the best-paid escorts for nothing. Getting people to spill their most sacred secrets and fantasies was practically part of the job description, aside from fulfilling them.

Loki's phone chirped with a text alert, interrupting his thoughts. As he fished it out of his pocket, he didn't notice that Thor was looking strangely at him before typing again.

Just as Loki was about to open the first text, his phone chirped for the second time. Another message from the same phone number. It only read, "Loki?"

Loki frowned; he didn't know what to make of that. Then he read the first message and it clicked.

His head jerked up and he found Thor gawking at him.

"It's … You are …?" Thor's eyes darted between Loki and the phone in his hand as if he couldn't believe what had just happened.

Loki saw the wheels turning in his head. It was like watching a train heading for a cliff and being unable to stop it. When Thor finally reached the only logical conclusion, all the blood drained from his face. He took a few shaky steps forward until he found the edge of another sofa by touch and fell into it. He stared at Loki as if he was seeing him for the first time.

"No … you … that's not possible …" Thor's voice was so low that Loki had to strain his ears to understand him. He seemed to be waiting for Loki to tell him any second now that this was all one of Loki's elaborate pranks. But Loki just shrugged in response, silently confirming Thor's suspicion.

Sure, this wasn't exactly how Loki had wanted Thor to find out that he had hired his brother as an escort. Actually, he hadn't wanted Thor to find that out at all. Loki preferred to work in anonymity, using a false name. It prevented both prosecution from the police as well as harassment from clients who didn't understand that their relationship was strictly professional and nothing more. Besides, it was much more fun to ferret out the secrets and weaknesses of others than to have his own uncovered.

For a long and tense moment, neither of them spoke. Then Thor swallowed hard and said in a carefully controlled voice, "Is anyone forcing you to …?"

"What? No, of course not. I'm an escort, not some common whore who is controlled by their pimp." Loki's reply was harsher than he intended as he tried to cover up an almost forgotten feeling of warmth spreading through his chest at Thor's obvious concern for him.

"Then why …?" Thor asked, studiously avoiding to look at Loki.

"Why what?" Loki was aware that he was being deliberately obtuse, but he was playing for time. He needed to gain the upper hand again. Messing Thor about by making him spell it out was the easiest way to do it.

"Why do you … you know. Have sex with people for money," Thor finally got out, his face scrunched up like he'd just bitten into a particularly bitter lemon.

"Why did you hire an escort?" Loki shot back.

While he hadn't really expected a straight answer, Thor's reaction was still rather telling with the way he blushed bright red and instantly averted his eyes again. Whatever Thor's reason was, it had to be something tremendously shameful, just like Loki had already suspected.

With a heavy sigh Loki leant back, putting his feet on the low table in front him, an arm slung across the back of the sofa. "Fine. Do you really want to know why I got into the escort business?" he asked. 

Thor nodded mutely.

"Then let's make a deal," Loki said. "I'll tell you my reasons if you tell me yours."

Thor looked at him for a long moment, considering, and then said, "Okay. But you go first."

"Sure." Loki shrugged as if he didn't care one way or another. "It's pretty simple, actually. Like you said, they pay. And they pay well. Considering the fact that you also hired me – for the entire night, I might add – you should already know that my … company doesn't come cheap."

Thor shook his head in disbelief. "Loki, you can't seriously mean that."

"Just telling it like it is," Loki said. He refrained from rolling his eyes. The idea that he didn't care whom he spread his legs for as long as he got paid for it was apparently too difficult for Thor to understand. "I do, though. Money makes a lot of people quite attractive."

There was no way in hell that Loki would disclose the other reason why he chose to make his living as a high-class escort.

True, at the beginning, his main motivation had been the money. It was astonishing how much the rich and powerful were willing to shell out just to enjoy an hour or two of feeling recklessly irresponsible. Since Loki loved to have sex, the money was definitely easier earned than working two or three zero-hour jobs to try and make ends meet.

But after several years in the business, his priorities had shifted and the money was little more than a pleasant side effect. Now, Loki relished the power he had over his clients. He knew enough about his regulars to destroy their careers, possible even ruin their entire lives, with just a well-placed insinuation. It still boggled Loki's mind how much they told him about their business deals – legal as well as illegal –, family troubles and drug habits. They didn't even seem to realize that by now, they had no choice but to trust Loki not to expose them. Fools, all of them.

"So, what about you?" Loki asked.

Thor startled like he had been lost in thought. "Sorry, what?"

"I told you about me, now it's your turn," Loki said. Seriously, Thor had the memory of a goldfish sometimes.

"Ah, yes," Thor rubbed the nape of his neck before letting out a sigh. "It's stupid, really. There's someone … someone I've wanted for ages. But he doesn't feel the same way. Never will, actually, not in a million years. So I dated other people. It even worked for a while. And when he … moved away I took it as a sign that I should try to forget about him, once and for all."

Thor bit his lip and shot a quick glance at Loki. Loki just raised his eyebrows, prompting him to go on.

Thor leant forward, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together like he was praying. When he continued, he talked towards the carpet. "As you can guess, that didn't work out so well. I still miss him. Every single day. And by now it's got so bad that all I can think about is how it would feel to have him in my arms. Pathetic, huh?"

Thor looked up at Loki with a self-deprecating grin before turning serious again. "Father is pressuring me to settle down and start a family. Can you believe his nerve? I mean, we're living in the 21st century." Thor shook his head. "Anyway, Fandral and the others have been pestering me for weeks to get laid so that I can get it out of my system before I, well … That's how I came up with this plan. I figured that a hooker …" Loki involuntarily curled his lip in distaste and Thor corrected himself, "An escort wouldn't mind pretending to be someone else. Killing two birds with one stone, basically."

Thor gestured between himself and Loki. "I never thought that I'd meet _you_ here, though."

Their gazes locked and for a split second there was a look of ravenous yearning on Thor's face that struck Loki to his core. Then Thor looked away as if nothing had happened, his face blank again except for a slight flush on his cheekbones. He continued to talk, but Loki wasn't listening any more.

Instead, his thoughts were racing. Not due to the revelation that Odin was a complete dickhead. It was nice to have his conviction confirmed, but the only interesting thing about that was that Thor was the target this time.

Much more intriguing was the question why Thor had looked at him like … Loki couldn't come up with an adequate comparison that wasn't utterly cheesy at the same time. And who was the mysterious person Thor was missing so badly? Loki assumed that he would have noticed anyone whom Thor had been crushing on for years and he couldn't remember anyone. Seriously, the bloke must have been completely blind not to realize that Thor wanted him. His brother wasn't exactly shy when making advances.

And why had he chosen Loki specifically among all the available escorts from the agency's website? He had to have clicked through most the portrait gallery to discover Loki's photos. Despite the fact that he didn't look much like himself in them thanks to an excessive use of Photoshop, Thor must have at least noted a resemblance to …

Loki sucked in a sharp breath. What if Thor had? What if he was talking about _Loki_?

One by one the pieces fell into place as he thought it through. Thor's behaviour when he opened the door to the suite. His conviction that the other man – Loki – would never want him. Of course. It made perfect sense in a twisted sort of way.

For a moment Loki was too stunned by his discovery to do anything but stare at Thor. Then he stood up abruptly and walked towards the window, resting his head against the cool glass. The view of Hyde Park was lovely, but he was too out of it to appreciate it. Distantly, he heard Thor ask if everything was okay.

Then there was a hand on his shoulder.

Thor turned him gently. He cupped Loki's neck, something he'd done countless times before, but Loki had never noticed how intimate that gesture was until now.

"Loki, is something wrong? Do you feel all right?" Thor asked.

Gradually, the shock passed and Loki's brain started working again. He needed to know if his suspicion was true.

"That guy you're hung up about?" he asked.

Thor nodded, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You were … talking about me, weren't you?" Although Loki phrased it like a question, his tone of voice made it clear that it was actually more of a statement.

Thor paled. He dropped his hand like he'd been burned and staggered a few steps back.

"How did you …?" he breathed, his hands balled into tight fists, his entire body vibrating with tension.

Loki shrugged. "Call it an educated guess. You're not that good at subtlety, you know."

He was watching Thor carefully, from every measured breath he took to every blink of his eyes. It was a stand-off, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move. Eventually, Thor broke the tense silence.

"Do you … Do you despise me now?" he asked hesitantly. "I know it's completely inappropriate for me to … I swear I'd never do anything … I'm not a pervert … You know I wouldn't …"

It was strange to see Thor so agitated.

"I know you aren't. And I don't despise you," Loki reassured him. It was the truth and he could see Thor's shoulders sag with relief. He added, "I'm just … a bit surprised, that's all."

Surprise, however, didn't quite cover everything that was running through Loki's head right now. When he had been trying to find out why Thor had hired an escort he never would have believed that he would uncover such a deliciously dirty and deeply hidden secret. Thor – pining for his own brother. Odin's golden son wasn't so perfect after all.

As adventurous as Loki was when it came to sex, he had never seriously contemplated sleeping with his brother. There had been only one or two passing thoughts. Maybe the occasional fantasy. And the memory of Thor's shifting back muscles while he fucked his partner might have got Loki off more often than he cared to admit.

Fine, so he had imagined it. It had remained an idle fantasy, though. He had kept his distance, not wanting to give Odin even more of an advantage over him. And if Loki was honest with himself, he had been too afraid to be rejected by Thor, to be called a freak, to see the disgust on his face.

But if he had known then what he knew now … His curiosity piqued, Loki wondered if he could tempt Thor into actually having sex with him. Oh, this was turning out to be a very fun evening, indeed.

"What now?" Thor asked. He was frowning, arms crossed over his chest.

Loki only smiled at him in response. He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it over the back of the sofa, hiding a pleased grin when he noticed that Thor was tracking his every movement. A subtle tug to loosen his tie and Thor was swallowing audibly.

Loki walked over to Thor, stopping about half a foot away, right in his personal space. He raised an eyebrow in question and Thor licked his lips before lowering his arms until they were hanging loosely at his sides. Loki trailed a finger down Thor's torso, lightly circling one nipple through the thin shirt on his way down. He stopped short before he reached the waistband of Thor's trousers. Pulling away, he watched Thor for a moment. Thor had closed his eyes and was breathing deeply, a flush high on his cheeks.

"Loki, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice rough.

"What does it look like?" Loki waited, eager to see Thor's reaction. When none came, he knew that he needed to push a little more. He started on the first button of Thor's shirt.

"So, are you going to take what you want? Or are you too scared of what others might think?" he asked, deliberately taunting Thor.

That was it. Implying that Thor might be a coward was akin to waving a red rag in front of a bull. And it worked every single time.

Thor's eyes flew open and Loki saw his resolve snapping. Before he could brace himself, Thor had grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him up against the nearest wall, pinning Loki with his body weight. Loki struggled half-heartedly, not really attempting to break free but testing to see how Thor would react.

"Loki," Thor growled in warning and leant more heavily against him, a leg slipping between Loki's.

Loki had to hide a victorious grin when he felt Thor's hardening cock pressing against his hip. A thrill of excitement rushed through him at the thought that he had Thor exactly where he wanted him, completely at his mercy. He rolled his hips against Thor as much as his limited range of movement allowed him, eager for some friction.

"What are you waiting for? Do it," Loki said to egg Thor on. He had barely a moment's warning before Thor dragged him into a kiss. There was no finesse, just their mouths pressed together almost painfully, but it was still the most glorious thing Loki had ever experienced. He cupped the back of Thor's head with one hand to prevent him from pulling away. Thor, though, had apparently cast all his previous inhibitions aside and was now solely focussed on kissing Loki, angling his head to fuse their mouths together. When Thor licked across Loki's lips, asking for access, Loki immediately opened his mouth with a small moan.

There were certainly points to be made for gentleness and technique, but Loki found that right now, he didn't care all that much. He was content to let himself be devoured by Thor, who couldn't seem to get enough of Loki. He didn't even care when Thor started sucking hard enough on his neck to bruise although marks were an absolute no-go with his clients. Now, however, Loki just retaliated by yanking Thor's shirt free so that he could slide his hands under it and scratch long lines down Thor's back.

Thor moaned loudly. "Again," he panted.

Loki obliged with a grin, causing Thor to arch against him, eyes falling shut. Loki noticed the reaction with interest. Apparently, Thor liked a bit of pain with his pleasure. Loki could work with that. But first they needed to move somewhere more comfortable.

"How about we take this to the bedroom?" Loki asked.

Thor made an affirmative noise against Loki's neck, but he didn't stop kissing it. He brushed against an especially sensitive spot that sent a tingle through Loki's body all the way down to his toes. He rubbed against Thor, shamelessly grinding their hips together for a moment.

Then, gathering his rapidly dissolving willpower, he pushed Thor away so that he could look him in the eyes.

"Bed, now. And take your clothes off."

~~~

Locked into a fierce embrace, they stumbled into the bedroom. With combined efforts they had managed to get Thor down to his boxers, but Loki was still mostly clothed. Despite the fact that they were pressed together and Thor was peppering Loki's neck with distracting kisses, Loki managed to work a hand between them. He cupped Thor's length, squeezing gently.

"Want me to suck you off?" he asked, pitching his voice low.

Thor groaned and jerked against him, his cock twitching in Loki's hand upon his suggestion.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Loki said, smirking. Thor really was too easy. "Got any condoms?"

"My bag, there should be some left …," Thor answered, a bit dazed. He dragged Loki into another kiss, which was short but didn't lack in passion. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Without giving Loki a chance to respond, he disappeared into the suite's bathroom. Loki rolled his eyes at Thor's lack of preparation. Although, to be fair, Loki had had clients who had completely baulked at the use of protection until Loki had told them flat out that no condoms equalled no sex. So it was a step up that Thor had brought condoms at all and also didn't mind using them.

If he managed to find them, that was. Loki could hear him rummaging around in the bathroom, cursing occasionally. Loki considered asking if he needed any help but decided against it. He started undressing instead.

He shrugged off his shirt and tossed it onto a chaise longue which stood in the corner of the room, a few feet away from the bed. When he leant against the TV cabinet next to it to take off his shoes, he noticed that he was in an ideal position to observe anything that happened on the bed. If Odin were here, he would have an excellent view of his golden son being defiled …

Loki made a face. No, that was just plain wrong. There were some boundaries that even he wouldn't cross.

But … Odin didn't need to be here in person, did he?

Loki barely managed to refrain from cackling as the perfect plan to get revenge on Odin formed in his mind.

He took out his phone and placed it on the cabinet after activating the video app. A quick check told him that the camera indeed captured the entire bed. Perfect. He took off the rest of his clothes, hoping that the phone wasn't too obvious in front of the TV.

He had just finished when Thor returned, a string of condoms in one hand and a tube of lube in the other. He stopped in the doorway and for a second Loki feared that he had noticed the phone. But apparently Thor was merely transfixed by the sight of Loki naked in front of him because a flush spread out over his cheeks and he swallowed hard. Placing the supplies on the bedside table, he turned around and beckoned Loki to him.

"Come here," he said, his voice rasping.

Loki went willingly with a wide grin on his face, even more eager to get the show on the road than before. He let himself be pulled into Thor's arms and another kiss. It seemed that Thor couldn't get enough of Loki's skin, wanting to touch him everywhere. His hands were stroking random patterns across Loki's back, occasionally using his fingers to scratch lightly. Loki would have purred in satisfaction if he hadn't been too occupied with kneading the firm muscles of Thor's delectable arse and grinding against him.

It was already so much better than with any of his other clients even though they hadn't even done anything extraordinary yet. But the fact that he was about to have sex with Thor – his _brother_ – while simultaneously bringing about the downfall of Odin was more of a turn-on than Loki would have ever expected. Killing two birds with one stone, indeed.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and drew back a little. Thor uttered an unintelligible protest and tried to catch Loki's mouth again. Loki stopped him by putting a finger across Thor's lips.

"I believe I promised you my mouth," he said, one of his hands toying with the waistband of Thor's boxers. Thor's hips stuttered forward.

"Oh yes," Thor said, a bit dazed. He blinked a couple of times before grinning. "I think you did. Where do you want me?"

Loki considered the possibilities for a moment, then said, "Sit on the edge of the bed. I don't want you falling down on me when your knees give out."

Thor quickly stepped out of his boxers and sat down as directed, his legs spread apart so that Loki could kneel between them. The position offered a very pleasant view and Loki's mouth began to water as he imagined the hard cock in his mouth. Hastily, he grabbed the strip of condoms from the bedside table and tore one of the foil packets open.

He dropped to his knees and shuffled into position between Thor's legs. Looking up, he found Thor watching him with an intense expression.

"Tell me this isn't just a dream," Thor said, one of his hands cupping Loki's cheek in a tender gesture.

Loki rolled the condom down with practised ease and gave Thor a couple of teasing strokes, enjoying his sharp intake of breath.

"Want me to pinch you?" he asked with a smirk.

Thor shook his head wordlessly.

Loki bent down, circling the head of Thor's cock with his tongue before taking it into his mouth. The taste of latex was cloying, even though Loki had got used to blowing someone with a condom. Usually, he even preferred the taste of the condom because it signified protection, a barrier that still existed between himself and whomever he was servicing at the time. Now, however, he was annoyed that he couldn't taste Thor himself, feel the soft skin beneath his tongue, lick away the first drops of pre-come.

One day I will, Loki thought, only to be immediately appalled by his thought. This was just one night, an opportunity to get back at Odin, while having some fun, he reminded himself. Nothing else.

Thus resolved, Loki focused on the task at hand. He slid his mouth down until his lips met the hand he had still curled around the base of Thor's cock and pressed his tongue against the sensitive underside, wriggling it a little. Thor's thighs were tensed; he was obviously fighting the urge to thrust up. Loki rubbed soothing circles along Thor's thigh and abdomen with his free hand until he felt Thor relax. He had to admire Thor's restraint and decided to reward him for his considerate behaviour. Hollowing his cheeks, he sucked hard as he pulled off slowly.

Thor gasped. "Oh, fuck … Loki, that feels so good."

He caressed Loki's cheek, tucking some loose strands behind Loki's ear before burying his fingers in the hair at the back of Loki's head. He made no move to direct Loki, but simply ran his fingers through the hair. Loki had to suppress a shiver at the sensation. Having his hair played with was one of his carefully hidden weaknesses and Thor had managed to hit just the perfect combination of gentleness mixed with a hint of pulling.

In the hopes of distracting Thor, Loki started sucking again, taking Thor all the way to the back of his throat before pulling off until he held only the tip in his mouth, circling it with his tongue and then sliding down again. Using Thor's moans and gasps as a guide to change his pace or flick his tongue against a sensitive spot, Loki set to taking him apart.

Soon he had reduced Thor to cursing and helpless little noises, interspersed with the occasional "Oh my god" and "Please, do that again". Loki would have smirked if he had been able to. He knew he was very good at this, but it was always nice to have his talent confirmed.

When Thor got close, he tried to pull Loki off. "Shit, Loki … I'm going to …"

Looking up at Thor, Loki let the cock slide out of his mouth and licked his lips.

"It's okay," he said. "I want you to come in my mouth."

He didn't wait for Thor's response and bent down again. Stroking with one hand, he focused on sucking on the tip of Thor's cock, tongue flicking repeatedly against the frenulum. Remembering Thor's earlier reaction, he used his other hand to rake his fingers along the inside of Thor's thigh down to his knee.

The grip on his hair turned quite painful as Thor suddenly tensed all over and climaxed with a stifled moan. Loki could feel him twitching in his mouth, filling the condom in powerful spurts. The urge to taste him flared up again and Loki couldn't help but feel cheated by the thin barrier. It didn't matter that the rational part of him insisted that protection was mandatory, for his sake as much as Thor's. The larger part of him still wanted to swallow everything Thor had to give, not letting a drop go to waste. With a pang of regret, he let Thor's spent cock slip from his mouth. A final lick across the tip, then Loki carefully pulled the condom off. He tied a knot in it and discarded it in the bin in the bathroom.

When he returned, he found Thor sprawled on the bed, one arm flung over his eyes, legs still spread wide open. Judging from the deep rise and fall of his chest, he was dozing already. There was a sated smile on his face and his cheeks were tinted a nice shade of pink. Loki grinned, priding himself on a job well done.

The downside of sucking Thor's brains out, however, was that Loki couldn't expect any reciprocation any time soon. A shame, really. He wouldn't have minded Thor getting him off. But he didn't want to wait until Thor woke up again, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. His eyes closed as he brought himself back to full hardness, firm strokes with a little twist at the end.

But just when he was getting really into it, a hand on his wrist interrupted him.

Loki looked up.

_Thor._

Annoyed, Loki wanted to ask him in no uncertain terms what the hell he thought he was doing when Thor said, "Fuck me."

Loki's mouth clicked shut. Then he opened it again, but no words came out to his embarrassment. Thor's announcement had hit him completely out of left field. Finally, he managed to croak, "Come again?"

He grimaced at his choice of words, but Thor just smiled and motioned for him to get up on the bed. Loki obeyed, too surprised to protest. Thor pulled at him until Loki was sitting in his lap, close enough for Thor to nuzzle along Loki's jaw up to his ear. He sucked on Loki's earlobe, just a hint of teeth, before whispering, "I want you to fuck me." A playful bite on Loki's shoulder. "Hard and deep." He gripped Loki's cock and stroked him once, twice. "I want to feel this inside me, filling me up."

Loki gulped. Thor effortlessly managed to push every single one of Loki's buttons with his words. God, how long had it been since someone had asked him to top? Most of his clients would never even consider bottoming for anyone, especially not for an escort. They feared it would put them in a submissive position, make them less of a man. Utter nonsense in Loki's opinion, but if someone had asked him five minutes ago, he would have sworn that Thor was one of them. Yet here he was, asking his _little brother_ to fuck him. In an absolutely perfect and filthy way to boot. This evening turned out to be full of surprises.

"Loki?"

There was a hint of uncertainty in Thor's voice and Loki realized he had been silent for too long. He raised his head so that he could look Thor straight in the eye. He ran his hand up Thor's arm, along his neck and into his hair.

"Are you sure? I mean …" He raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards Thor's crotch with his other hand.

Thor smiled at Loki. "I wouldn't ask if I wasn't." Then his expression turned worried. "Unless you don't want to …?"

"No, no …" Loki shook his head, smiling crookedly. "I'd love to."

He pulled Thor into an open-mouthed kiss, moaning as their tongues met. Loki struggled not to get lost in it. There was something about the way Thor kissed that made him feel cherished, like he was the most important being in the universe. He wasn't sure if he could ever get enough of Thor kissing him. It was a pity that this entire encounter was ultimately just a convenient means to an end. It shouldn't … it didn't matter how Thor made Loki feel.

Breaking the kiss, Loki pushed Thor backwards. Thor took the hint and laid down on the bed. He looked like a feast all spread out like that and Loki couldn't resist kissing up his chest, skirting around Thor's nipple with his tongue before gently biting on the soft flesh beneath Thor's jaw. Thor tilted his head back, allowing Loki to freely nuzzle his neck. He could feel the deep rumble in Thor's throat as he moaned.

There was a twitch against Loki's thigh. Loki looked down. Then he looked back up at Thor.

"How …?" he asked incredulously.

Thor shrugged as much as he was able to with his arms wrapped around Loki's waist. "You just turn me on that much." He stroked one hand up and down Loki's spine while the other wandered down and squeezed Loki's arse, grinding their cocks together. "Now, come on and fuck me."

Another kiss, then Loki rolled to the side.

"Get on your hands and knees," he said and grabbed the lube from the bedside table.

Turning back towards the bed, he had to bite back a moan when he saw Thor kneeling on the bed like he'd asked, looking at him with half-lidded eyes and smiling widely. Loki reached out, running his hand along Thor's back. He felt the muscles shift beneath the skin as Thor arched into the touch like a cat being petted. He even made a noise resembling a purr once Loki switched from stroking to gentle scratching.

Loki pulled away to pour some lube into his hand. He warmed it up for a moment before tracing the crack of Thor's arse with slippery fingers. Thor mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "finally" and sighed deeply. His entire body relaxed into Loki's touch so that there was hardly any resistance at all as Loki pushed his middle finger inside. It definitely wasn't Thor's first time and Loki wondered how often Thor had done this before and with whom. His chest tightened with the urge to slowly, painfully kill every person that had got to touch his brother like this.

But first, he'd give Thor the best fuck of his life.

Loki took his time to work several fingers into Thor, rotating and scissoring them carefully. A fine tremor ran through Thor's body whenever Loki brushed his prostate and he made lovely little gasps when Loki spread his fingers, stretching him. Thor's responsiveness was fascinating to watch and Loki contemplated bringing him off with his fingers alone, just to see if it was possible.

Thor, though, had other plans.

"God dammit, Loki, I'm ready. Stop teasing," he growled.

Loki laughed and withdrew his fingers. "So impatient, brother mine."

He quickly rolled a condom on, coated it with an additional layer of lube, and lined himself up. He pushed inside Thor in a long, smooth glide. Perfect pressure surrounded him, incredibly tight heat that had him teetering on the brink of orgasm within seconds. To make matters worse, Thor was squirming beneath him, urging him in a rough voice to _go on, move, Loki, please_. Loki desperately tried to think of unsexy things – the dirty laundry, the tax return that was long over-due – anything that would distract him and pull him back from the edge. He wasn't going to shoot off like an over-eager teenager at his first time. He _wasn't_. It would be too embarrassing. Especially if it got caught on camera for the entire world to see.

That thought was like a bucket full of ice water. The idea that anyone except him would see how Thor enjoyed getting fucked was suddenly unbearable. Thor was his and his alone. Jealousy gripped Loki's heart like a vice. His hold on Thor's hips tightened and without thinking, he pulled out and shoved all the way back in, hard.

Thor gasped. "Again, do it again."

He blindly grasped for Loki's thigh, urging him on. Loki had no intention of stopping. He bent over Thor so that they were touching from shoulder to hip, hands next to Thor's on the bed for balance.

"You wanted it hard and deep, didn't you?" he asked. "I'll do that. I'll make you forget about everything but me."

Thor only groaned in response and spread his knees wider, opening himself further for Loki's thrusts. Loki moaned when this allowed him to slip in just that final inch deeper. He set up a punishing pace, working himself deep inside each time he pushed in, just like he had promised. Loki knew Thor could take it and he did it beautifully. The throaty moans he made whenever Loki hit a particularly sensitive spot inside were the hottest sounds Loki had ever heard and when he started meeting Loki thrust for thrust, Loki lost himself in the simple pleasure of fucking.

A touch to his hand startled him out of the almost trance-like state he was in. Thor had laced their fingers together, his thumb stroking the back of Loki's hand.

"I love you," Thor said, voice thick with emotion.

Loki's hips stuttered for a moment, losing his rhythm, and before he knew what he was doing, he squeezed Thor's fingers in return. To keep himself from saying anything treacherous out loud, he scraped his teeth across Thor's shoulder, hard enough to hurt.

Thor tensed, exhaling sharply.

"Yes, mark me. Make me yours," he said between shallow pants.

Something in Loki snapped. He bit down, right next to the red marks already forming on Thor's skin.

"You're mine, Thor," he snarled.

Thor moaned and Loki shifted his weight to one hand, freeing the other to grab Thor's cock. Thor cursed as Loki started to jack him off with rough strokes. He was rock hard, pre-come gathering at the tip. He was close already, which was good, because Loki wanted, _needed_ , to feel Thor falling apart around him. Now.

"Come for me, Thor." He circled the tip of Thor's cock with his thumb, spreading the wetness there. "Come on, do it."

A touch to the ridge of the glans and Thor clenched tightly around him, spilling in a hot dribble over Loki's hand. "Fuck, oh, fuck … Loki!"

For a split second, everything went white around Loki as he heard Thor calling out his name – his _real_ name. Before he could do anything to stop it, he was coming, too. He held onto Thor for dear life, helpless as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over him, giving him no choice but to ride it out. The intensity of his release left him completely drained.

Thor wasn't faring any better. His arms gave out under their combined weight and they collapsed on the bed in a boneless heap, breathing hard, their hearts beating rapidly.

All too soon, Loki felt himself beginning to get soft. He said, "I'm going to pull out now, okay?"

Thor only grunted in return and Loki chose to interpret it as agreement. Holding onto the base of the condom to keep it in place, he carefully withdrew. He didn't want to hurt Thor. Nevertheless, Thor winced when the head popped free.

Loki went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned, he asked, "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit sore," Thor said and turned onto his side, yawning widely.

"Aww, did I wear you out?" Loki clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. "And here I thought the mighty Thor could go all night. But all it takes is a good fuck to … oi!"

Without warning Thor yanked him down onto the bed and rolled them so that he was lying half on top of Loki.

"Shut up," Thor grumbled and then promptly yawned again.

To his embarrassment, Loki found that it was infectious. He tried to stifle the urge but failed miserably if the twitching of Thor's mouth was anything to go by. Perhaps a short nap was indeed in order.

After a perfunctory clean up they crawled back into bed. Loki wasn't sure how he ended up being the little spoon but found that he was too comfortable to make a fuss. Closing his eyes, he relaxed into Thor's embrace.

"I meant it, you know," Thor murmured, tightening his arm around Loki's waist and kissing his shoulder. "I do love you. More than anything."

Loki's eyes flew open again. Wait, _what_? His heart began to race, all drowsiness suddenly gone. Thor loved him? He meant it? Loki had dismissed it before, convinced it had just been idle talk, something Thor had said in the heat of the moment. He tried to tell himself that Thor meant that he loved Loki like a brother and not that he was actually _in love_ with him. They had just shagged like rabbits because all Thor felt for Loki was platonic brotherly love.

Yeah, right.

Wide awake again, Loki listened to Thor's breathing slowing down and becoming deeper as he fell asleep.

Shit, there was a reason that "Don't let a client fall for you" was the most important rule in the escort business. Emotions always messed things up and this had all the makings of getting really ugly really fast. Especially since Thor wasn't a normal client. And even more so if Thor found out that Loki had filmed them without his consent, intending to use it as a means to get revenge on Odin.

A wave of nausea hit Loki. He didn't know if he could handle Thor's wrath or – even worse – Thor telling him flat out that he never wanted to see him again, disappointment clear on his face. Just like Odin had done.

Loki panicked. Thor's apparent feelings for him, his own plan gone utterly pear-shaped … He couldn't deal with this. He had to get out of here. Now.

He disentangled himself from Thor as carefully and quickly as possible and got dressed with record speed. A quick glance back to the bed told him that Thor was thankfully still fast asleep. Loki grabbed his phone and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft snick. He leant against it for a moment and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. It didn't work. Heart still racing, he snatched his jacket from the sofa and fled the suite without looking back.

He didn't even stop to pocket the envelope on the table.


	2. Chapter 2

Two months later Loki paced in front of Valentino's, one of the latest trendy restaurants in London, fighting the urge to check his phone again. He knew even without looking at it that his client was still late and hadn't deigned to leave him a message, either. If he didn't show up soon, their table reservation would expire. Loki seethed. He had been looking forward to trying the food; the reviews had been excellent. It'd take weeks, if not months, to get another reservation. His client had better have a fantastic excuse to make up for his atrocious manners.

A black Mercedes stopped at the kerb and a middle-aged man got out. It was his client. Finally.

Loki had begun to hack into the email server after the disaster with his brother. A preventive measure – he had no desire to be surprised like that ever again and he recognized the client from the photo he had sent the agency. As the man got closer, Loki took his first good look at him with his own eyes.

Good grief, the spray tan was even worse in person than it had been in the photo. It was practically orange. Combined with the greasy hair and the large, showy rings on his fingers, he gave off a sleazy vibe that made Loki's skin crawl. He fought the urge to just turn around and walk away, especially when he got a whiff of his client's cloying aftershave despite the fact that they were still several feet apart.

Great. Loki couldn't stand it if someone smelled like a walking perfume ad. He only prayed that his client wasn't dousing himself in artificial smell to cover up his lack of personal hygiene.

This was all Thor's fault, Loki thought bitterly. He was the root of all of Loki's problems and the sole reason why he hadn't got a proper night of sleep for weeks.

Ever since Loki had run into him, he had felt distinctly off-balance. Thor's voice – _I love you, more than anything_ – was stuck in his head, a constant companion that he couldn't get rid of no matter what he tried, and whenever he was with a client, images of his night with Thor returned to him, unbidden, causing him to lose focus.

Loki had always prided himself on his ability to separate sex from emotions. For him sex meant nothing more than getting his rocks off and making sure that his partners enjoyed themselves, too. There were no feelings involved and he preferred it that way. But somehow Thor had managed to get under Loki's skin and had turned his life upside down.

Sex with his clients had become horribly dull and some of them had even had the gall to complain about his lack of enthusiasm. The agency hadn't been pleased with it. Loki's reputation of being one of the best escorts in the city was crumbling around him. In the past few weeks, he had also accepted hardly any appointments thanks to his new-found _issues_. The agency hadn't been pleased with that, either, and had practically forced him to take on this new client.

Loki tried to reign his temper in. It wouldn't do to antagonize his new client right from the beginning, especially since it was not entirely his fault that Loki was in such a foul mood. Only for the most part.

It'd be best to just get it over with, Loki thought. It wasn't like he was on a first date with a potential boyfriend. This was just a job. He also tried very hard not to think about the more unsavoury information he had unearthed while trying to learn everything he could about his client. It wasn't relevant right now and would only encumber him. And who knew? Maybe his client had some hidden qualities after all. Maybe he even turned out to be interesting in bed.

 _There's no way he will be better than Thor_ , a traitorous voice whispered in the back of Loki's head.

Gritting his teeth, Loki pushed it as far away as he could. He took a deep breath, pasted on a friendly smile, and went to greet his client.

"Mr Maxwell, isn't it? I'm Leo. Pleased to meet you," Loki said, extending a hand.

"The pleasure is all mine. Please, call me James."

His client's handshake felt like gripping a dead fish, all limp and clammy. Loki let go as soon as possible, especially when James leered at him and licked his lips as if Loki were a particularly tasty piece of meat and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it.

Willing to hurry things up, Loki gestured towards the entrance of the restaurant. "Shall we?"

A tall, red-haired woman exited the restaurant in a hurry before they could open the door themselves. She had her phone pressed to her ear and didn't notice them, too busy talking. Loki caught her saying, "Natalie, what exactly did he blow up this time? And please tell me it hasn't leaked online yet."

Apparently he wasn't the only one who had a shitty evening, Loki thought wryly and stepped inside the restaurant with a small sigh. He was relieved to find that their reservation was still valid. Finally something that went right today.

His elation was short-lived, though.

On the way to their table, James let his hand wander from its innocent position between Loki's shoulder blades down to his arse and groped him in full view of the restaurant's patrons and staff. Loki flinched. Behind him, James chuckled at Loki's reaction to him copping a feel.

What an unbelievable … Loki couldn't come up with a strong enough expression that conveyed the depth of his contempt for his client. He might sell his body for money, but it did not mean that James was free to do with him as he liked. He wasn't his property. Apparently, James needed to be reminded of that at the next opportunity.

At the table, their waiter handed each of them a menu. Loki accepted it with a polite nod, thanking him. He intended to order the most expensive dishes as payback since the client always footed the bill.

They were both studying the extensive assortment of dishes when James looked up and said, out of the blue, "You're older than I expected, you know."

"I'm sorry?" Loki was confused.

"Your photographs on the website. You look a lot younger in them." He eyed Loki critically. "But I guess you'll do anyway."

Suddenly, Loki couldn't take it any more. He closed the menu and laid it on the table.

"Would you excuse me, please?" he said. "I … I need a bit of fresh air."

It was a rather feeble excuse, but James only waved his hand dismissively. His attention focused on the list of desserts, he said, "I'll order for you. You don't mind, do you?"

Loki gritted his teeth again at James's presumptuousness. Swallowing the biting retort that was on his tongue, he merely said, "No, it's fine."

He got up and left the restaurant as fast as possible.

~~~

Once outside, he breathed in the fresh air before taking off, intent on finding a quiet spot where he could calm down. Turning a corner, then another one, he found himself in a deserted alleyway. He slumped against a wall, rubbing his face. God, he was so exhausted. And the idea of having dinner with James and spending the rest of the evening with him … Loki shuddered. There had to be a way he could get out of this. Or at least make it bearable somehow.

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. "Loki?"

Loki closed his eyes and tilted his head back. This wasn't happening. No way. The sensation of déjà vu was overwhelming. How on earth did Thor manage to show up wherever Loki was? Or maybe he was hallucinating him, the first sign that he was losing his mind due to too much stress.

Loki opened his eyes again and straightened slowly. No hallucination. It was indeed Thor in the alley with him, solid and quite real. Loki didn't know whether he should be relieved or not that he was apparently still sane.

Thor was dressed in a well-fitting and elegant dark suit, white shirt and red tie, his hair tied back into a neat braid. He looked gorgeous and for a split-second Loki imagined himself shoving him up against the wall, kissing him senseless.

Ruthlessly squashing that impulse, he faced his approaching brother, a hard mask on his face. He wasn't going to give Thor a chance to get even further under his skin than he already was. He didn't need any other complications tonight.

"Loki, are you all right? You look like –" Thor began, but Loki cut him off.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice as sharp as a knife.

Thor's eyes narrowed. "I could ask you the same."

They both fell silent, neither of them wanting to budge. Loki felt backed into a corner, his entire body taut with tension, prepared to counter Thor's imminent attack.

Thor made another attempt at conversation. "I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I thought something had happened to you." He took a cautious step towards Loki. Loki immediately stepped back, keeping the same distance between them.

"So, now you're stalking me? How did you find out where I am? Did the agency tell you?" The accusation in Loki's voice was loud and clear. He was faintly aware that he was being ridiculous, verging on the edge of hysteria, but he didn't care. Whatever would get Thor off his back.

"What? I'm not stalking … That's absurd. I was having dinner with Ms Potts at Valentino's when I saw you there." Thor gestured in the vague direction of the main street.

Something clicked in Loki's brain and he remembered the woman he had run into at the restaurant. She had only looked vaguely familiar then, but now, with Thor mentioning her name, Loki was able to place her. Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries. Thor's story sounded plausible, Loki had to admit. She was definitely someone Thor would have dinner with. They had probably discussed some kind of business deal.

But it was still a heck of a coincidence.

"Loki, I worried about you. And it seems I had every reason to. You look like death warmed over," Thor said. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

Loki's expression darkened with fury. How dare Thor sound so concerned, so worried, so caring? Did he think he could get away with pretending to be ignorant?

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_?" Loki hissed through clenched teeth. "You are, Thor. You fucked everything up. If you hadn't –" He broke off abruptly and turned his head away, his throat suddenly tight.

"What did I do wrong? You're the one who left without so much as saying good-bye!" Thor's raised voice reverberated in the alley.

"Excuse me? I most certainly didn't do anything wrong. You paid for one night. Your time was up, so I left. I'm an escort, remember? That's how the business works. A good-bye kiss is not included."

"If it was just 'business', then why did you leave your money?"

That stopped Loki short. He bit his tongue. He had asked himself that a thousand times, too, without finding an answer. He couldn't come up with one now, either.

"Loki, that night was the best night of my life! I _love_ you, though God knows why. It wasn't just 'business' for me. For crying out loud, I even let you film us! Do you really think I would let a 'business acquaintance' do that?" Thor talked himself into a rage. "And then the next morning. Do you know how I felt, waking up and discovering you had disappeared again? If it wasn't for the condoms in the bin, everything might have just been a really vivid dream. If you didn't like it … if you didn't want it, then why didn't you just tell me?" He stopped, out of breath, his hands falling limply at his sides.

Loki had gone deathly pale upon hearing Thor's tirade. 

"How did you …?" he said. His mind was spinning wildly. He must have misheard Thor. There was no way he could know about the video. Loki had made sure that his phone was well-hidden and he hadn't uploaded the video anywhere yet. He had had every intention to, but hadn't been able to bring himself to follow through for reasons he didn't want to examine too closely.

"It wasn't hard to miss, was it? The bed was empty and you were nowhere to be found," Thor said, his voice bitter.

"No, not that." Loki gestured impatiently. "The video. You knew about it?"

"Yes?"

"And you didn't say anything?" Loki was reeling.

Thor looked confused. "Honestly, I was more interested in you and what we were about to do. But what has that –" He blinked. "Is _that_ why you left? The video? You didn't want me to find out about it?"

Loki just shrugged and looked down. This time, he remained where he was as Thor walked towards him. He couldn't stop himself from flinching, however, still not completely sure whether Thor would hit him or simply tell him to sod off. He didn't expect the gentle hand on his face at all.

"Oh, Loki," Thor said, caressing Loki's cheek with his thumb. "Look at me, please."

Reluctantly, Loki raised his head, sure to receive at least a severe telling-off any second now. But Thor was smiling at him, no trace of anger or disappointment in his expression, only understanding. Something huge and heavy unravelled inside Loki.

Without knowing what he was doing, he reached up, grabbed Thor's head and dragged him into a kiss. When Thor's lips were stiff and unmoving beneath his, Loki's first thought was, oh fuck. Had he miscalculated? Was Thor still angry with him, after all?

But then Thor was kissing him back and Loki felt giddy with relief. It didn't take long for the kiss to turn rough, demanding, each of them unwilling to relinquish control. Their tongues met, wet and messy, every lick like an electric shock. Loki's heart was beating hard. He still couldn't exactly pinpoint what was so special about kissing Thor, but he found he couldn't get enough of it. He needed more. He backed Thor up against the brick wall, caging him in, and attacked Thor's mouth, running his tongue along Thor's bottom lip before pushing inside, tasting him, owning him.

Eventually, Thor broke away for air and said, breathless, "Loki …"

Loki didn't listen. He scraped his teeth down Thor's neck before proceeding to suck a dark bruise into the tender skin. Thor gripped the back of Loki's head, effectively preventing him from moving away. As if he had any intention to do so. When Thor grabbed Loki's arse with his other hand, Loki rocked his hips forward, his moan muffled against Thor's throat. All coherent thought fled his brain as he felt Thor's hard cock pressing against his own and he began to grind against him in a frantic, desperate rhythm. Thor pulled his head back up for another kiss and Loki let out a high-pitched whimper, part pain, part lust, as his hair was yanked none too gently.

Suddenly, a man's voice said, "You dirty little whore."

The words sliced like a sharp blade through Loki's arousal. His client. Loki had completely forgotten about him.

He pulled away from Thor as if he'd been burned, Thor's expression mirroring the terror consuming Loki. How the fuck could he have been so careless?

And now James had found him and had got the wrong impression. Or rather, the right impression. Either way, Loki was screwed. And not in a good way.

James approached them, his hands clenched into fists, a murderous expression on his face.

Thor and Loki exchanged a quick look.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this," Loki told Thor in a hushed voice and with as much confidence as he could muster. "Just stay back."

Thor nodded tersely. Loki hoped that it would be enough to make him back off for the moment. He was aware of Thor's eyes flickering between him and James, trying to anticipate the next move.

"Look, this isn't …" Loki held up a hand in an attempt to placate his client.

"The fuck it is!" His client came even closer. "You tell me you need 'a bit of fresh air' and I find you here, snogging this cunt." He pointed his finger at Thor who bristled with anger at the insult. Loki couldn't blame him.

"I can explain …" Loki said. Maybe he could talk his way out of it.

"Shut your bloody mouth. You know what? I don't give a fuck if the beefcake is your boyfriend or whatever but you better tell him to fuck off right now. Your arse belongs to me tonight."

"James, wait, I –" Or maybe not.

Loki sensed the danger a split second too late. James's fist collided with his face and sharp pain exploded in Loki's head. His hands flew up to cup his nose and mouth as tears sprang into his eyes. He went down with a muffled yell. Warm blood ran down his fingers, dripping down onto his shirt and the pavement.

Through his blurred vision, Loki saw Thor take out James with a well-aimed blow to the stomach and a vicious kick to his knee, sending him to the ground in a wheezing heap and writhing in pain. Served the bastard right, Loki thought without pity as he searched for his handkerchief. His lip felt twice its size and it throbbed in sync with his nose. He struggled into a sitting position and gingerly pressed the handkerchief against his face. The white cloth turned red. Loki didn't dare to think about the blood stains on his clothes. They would be impossible to get out.

Thor knelt down next to him. "Are you all right? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Loki shook his head. "No, no ambulance. I'm fine."

He lowered the handkerchief and touched his face, wincing as he came into contact with his split lip. It hurt like hell, but at least, it seemed to have mostly stopped bleeding.

"He couldn't throw a proper punch if his life depended on it," Loki said. "If it wasn't for his damn rings …"

"Here, take this." Thor held out his pocket square. Loki took it and dabbed at his face, wiping away the last drops of blood dripping from his nose. He probed his teeth with his tongue. Thankfully, none of them were loose this time.

There was groaning to Loki's left. "You fucker smashed my knee! Fuck! Just wait until I tell your boss about it." It seemed James had recovered enough to talk. A shame, really; Loki had preferred him silent.

Fortunately, Loki had a way of shutting him up permanently thanks to his previous research. He had hoped he wouldn't need it, but by now, he was beyond caring about possible consequences. His face hurt like hell, he was royally pissed off, and he wanted to be done with James once and for all.

Loki got up and crossed the short distance between him and his client.

"You're not going to tell the agency anything," he said, crouching down next to James, who was still on the ground, clutching his knee.

"Oh yes, I will. Right after I go to the police."

"You won't go to the police, either."

"Like hell I won't. Your cunt of a boyfriend assaulted me, an innocent –"

"Shhh." Loki laid a finger against James's lips, talking over his spluttered protest. In a soft, yet dangerous voice, he said, "All you're going to do is to go home and think long and hard about your life choices and how you're supposed to treat people. Because if you don't, you'll find yourself in a much more unpleasant situation than you are right now. You see, I know all about your little incident in Brooklyn. Dreadful business, wasn't it?"

The change in James's demeanour was remarkable and Loki revelled in the look of utter panic on his face. Oh yes, it was such an adrenaline rush, knowing the pressure points of someone and having them at your mercy. Especially when it was someone who had it coming, like James.

"Do we have an agreement?" Loki asked with a nasty smile which was made even more gruesome by the dried blood smeared on his face.

"Yes, yes, anything you want. Just please, don't tell anyone!" James clutched at Loki's arm, tears running down his cheeks. He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. "Please, I beg you! I swear, I'm not going to say anything. Ever."

Loki jerked his arm free with a look of disgust and got up. He nodded towards Thor. "Come on, let's go. I'm not wasting any more time with this snivelling wanker."

After a brief hesitation, Thor followed him back onto the main street.

They had walked a few hundred metres in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, when the enormity of what had just happened hit Loki. It wasn't just his job that had been on the line. What if James had had put two and two together and realized that they were brothers? Odin and Frigga had tried to shield them as much as possible when they were children, but there had been several photo shoots for magazines and even the odd paparazzi encounter. It wouldn't have been impossible to figure it out and then …

Loki tried not to envision the consequences but failed miserably. His steps faltered and he began to shiver, although it was a mild evening for May.

Thor looked over to him, noticing that something was wrong. He stopped walking and reached out to put an arm around Loki's shoulder in support. Loki didn't resist as he was pulled into an embrace. He buried his head in the crook of Thor's neck. His shivering increased until he was outright trembling in Thor's arms, his breathing uneven. He was close to hyper-ventilating.

Thor stroked up and down Loki's back in an attempt to comfort him and murmured, "It's okay. You did the right thing. James isn't going to blab about us, thanks to you. We're safe. Everything's fine now."

Loki didn't know how long it took him to calm down, but eventually he relaxed in Thor's arms.

Keeping his voice low, Thor said, "Come home with me."

Loki shook his head. "Not the mansion."

"I live on my own now. Loki, please. I don't want you to be alone tonight."

If Loki was honest with himself, he had no desire to be alone, either. So he took a deep breath and then said, "Okay."

~~~

Thor's home was a Victorian terraced house. It was rather small compared to the mansion they grew up in and its red brick walls looked quite dilapidated. Loki followed Thor inside, a bit apprehensive. But then his eyes grew wide with astonishment. The interior had been renovated from the ground up and everything looked quite modern and sleek. Clean lines and light colours dominated, making the existing space appear larger. Loki had the distinct impression that Frigga had had a hand in decorating.

He didn't have much time, however, to admire the interior design or the paintings on the wall because Thor dragged him upstairs. Just as Loki was about to make a quip about being offered at least a drink before getting down to business, Thor ushered him into the bathroom.

"Let me take a look at your face," he said and flicked on the overhead light as well as the light from the medicine cabinet.

Loki blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.

"I told you, I'm fine," he said.

"Loki …" The warning in Thor's voice was clear. "Sit on the edge of the tub."

Loki knew better than to pick a fight with Thor over such a triviality, so he sat down as instructed.

Thor retrieved a first aid kit from the cabinet under the sink and washed his hands before wetting a soft flannel with warm water. He turned around and smirked with satisfaction when he saw Loki.

"There you go," he said, earning himself an annoyed eye roll from Loki.

Loki let himself be turned this way and that as Thor set to cleaning away the dried blood and disinfecting Loki's lip. He was surprisingly gentle about it, although Loki couldn't help wincing once or twice when Thor touched a particularly painful spot. Thor instantly apologized and proceeded even more carefully. It was strange, getting taken care of like this. Loki was used to getting by on his own, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed having all of Thor's attention on him.

Eventually, Thor seemed satisfied that Loki wasn't suddenly going to bleed to death. There was some bruising, but his nose wasn't broken and the cut on his lip had already started to scab over.

"It doesn't look too bad," Thor said, the relief obvious in his voice. "Do you want something for the pain? I've got some paracetamol somewhere, I think."

Loki gingerly touched his face. His lip still felt swollen, but the pain itself had receded to a dull throbbing.

"No thanks, I'm good," he said.

"Then there's just –" Thor rummaged in one of the drawers for a moment before pulling out a small, nondescript jar. He unscrewed it and scooped out some of its fragrant contents with his finger. Loki recognized the scent of Frigga's healing ointment she used to put on their scraped knees when they were children.

"Mother still won't tell me the ingredients," Thor said while he dabbed it onto Loki's nose and lip.

A wave of homesickness threatened to overwhelm Loki as he smelled the ointment up close. His eyes filled with tears.

"I must have asked her a thousand –" Thor stopped what he was doing. "Hey, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Loki shook his head and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand, embarrassed that Thor had noticed. "It's nothing. Keep going." 

The concern in Thor's expression was obvious, but he didn't pry for which Loki was grateful.

As soon as Thor had finished applying the ointment, Loki asked in a sarcastic voice, "What's the verdict, doctor? Will I live?"

"You will," Thor said, then quirked his mouth. "Now strip."

Unsure what Thor was getting at, Loki decided to take him at his word and got up. He began to sway his hips to a beat only he could hear. His hands were resting on his belt-buckle and he was acutely aware of Thor watching him as he slowly smoothed his hands up his stomach and chest until he reached the collar of his shirt. He had the sneaking suspicion that Thor might have meant something different if the look of surprise on his face was anything to go by. But he didn't stop him and Loki was eager to leave the previous events of the evening behind. Having sex would do the trick quite nicely.

He toyed with the knot of his tie for a moment before loosening it. The dark green silk felt heavenly beneath his fingertips and he wrapped the tie around his wrist, enjoying the sensation. Perhaps he could persuade Thor to tie him up with it later.

Loki shot Thor a look from beneath his lashes and let the tie dangle suggestively in the air before dropping it to the floor. Satisfied, he saw Thor watching its fall. Oh yes, there was definitely potential.

Loki ran his hands up his torso again, stopping to unbutton the first couple of buttons on his shirt, just enough to slip one hand beneath the shirt and tease his nipple into hardness. He stroked his throat with the other hand and let his head fall back with a soft moan. It felt great, even if it was his own touch. He could feel Thor's eyes on him, watching his every move, completely ensnared by the show Loki was putting on.

Loki decided to reward him.

With a careless shrug he let his suit jacket fall to the floor and then turned around and bent over to take off his shoes and socks, providing Thor with a perfect view of his arse. As if on cue, there was a muffled curse behind him. Loki straightened up again and threw a knowing look over his shoulder.

Shimmying his hips, he asked, "Like what you see?"

Thor had to swallow before he could reply.

"You're so damn beautiful, Loki," he said, his voice hoarse with desire.

The words struck a chord within Loki and he suddenly needed to touch Thor. Turning back around again, he pulled the shirt from his trousers, unbuttoned the remaining buttons and shrugged it off in a practised move. Two steps, then he was close enough to run his hands down Thor's arms.

"It's all yours, if you want," he said, guiding Thor's hands to his arse.

Thor gripped it on instinct and brought their hips together, causing them both to moan at the contact. Loki was delighted to find that Thor was already fully hard. His own cock started to fill and he wrapped his arms around Thor's neck, whispering into his ear, "Fuck me. Make me come so hard that I forget about anything but you."

But his words didn't have the intended effect of making Thor dizzy with lust. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Loki, stop," Thor said and put his hands on Loki's chest to push him away a bit. "Please."

"What? I thought you wanted –" Loki was confused and more than just a little hurt at being rejected.

"I don't … I mean, I _do_ , but not … Not like this …" Thor struggled to find the right words.

Loki snorted in disbelief.

"Are you saying you don't want to bend me over the nearest flat surface and have your wicked way with me?" he said in a dry voice and looked pointedly at Thor's crotch where his erection was clearly visible.

"Um." Thor blushed. He didn't deny it. But he made no move to touch Loki, either.

Loki crossed his arms and waited for Thor to work out whatever his problem was.

Eventually, Thor cleared his throat and said, "We need to talk."

~~~

Half an hour later they were sitting on opposite sofas in the living room. Each of them had a steaming cup of tea on the coffee table in front of them while Loki also had a plate of chicken sandwiches. He had told Thor that if he wasn't going to fuck him, he could at least make him some food. Loki was fully dressed again at Thor's insistence; he had changed into soft, grey sweat pants and an old hoodie from the University of Oxford, where Thor had earned his degree. The clothes were too big for him, forcing him to shake back the sleeves every time he reached for his cup or his food.

He ate slowly and drank only small sips of tea in an attempt to keep his mouth from hurting too much. It was a challenge. The first bite of sandwich had made him realize how ravenous he was and he wanted nothing more than to devour the entire plate in one go.

Loki lost his patience when, two sandwiches and half a cup of tea later, Thor was still brooding over his own cup of tea without saying anything.

"So, you said we needed to talk?" Loki asked.

Thor looked up, startled. "Yes, I … I said we needed to talk." He cleared his throat. "Um … it's not that I don't want you. Quite the opposite, in fact."

Loki swallowed, then put his third sandwich back down onto the plate.

"Go on," he said, wary.

If he had to venture a guess, he would say that this was going to turn into a talk about feelings, not something he was particularly keen on right now. But it seemed as if it was important to Thor. The least Loki could do was let him get it off his chest.

Thor ran a hand through his hair. He looked anywhere but at Loki as he said, "You know that I love you. Like a brother, obviously, but it's so much more than that. It's also more than simply desiring you. I'm not even sure that calling it 'in love with you' would cover everything I feel for you."

Loki had been right. He opened his mouth to reply, but Thor held up a hand. "Please, just hear me out. Afterwards, you can say anything you want, provided you still want to talk to me at all."

He waited until Loki nodded his acquiescence.

"The last eight years were the worst of my life. With you gone, it felt like half of me was missing. I blamed myself for your disappearance. I was so full of rage that I lashed out at everyone. I even went completely berserk one time. That's … um … that's the reason why Father is wearing the eye-patch."

Loki's eyes went wide at this admission and he sat up straight, giving Thor his full attention now. He hadn't thought Thor had it in him, standing up to Odin. A part of Loki was tempted to applaud Thor's actions, but the pain on Thor's face showed that he wasn't proud of himself for injuring his father so badly. So Loki waited for Thor to regain his composure and let him continue uninterrupted.

"If it hadn't been for your letter, I don't know what else I might have done. It was my anchor, the only connection I had to you. It still took years of therapy as well as moving out to get back on my feet. I tried to get used to the idea that I might never see you again in person. And then, when you were standing in front of me …" Thor took a deep breath. "It was like colour had returned into my life. Believe me, I know it's not healthy or appropriate … but if you being gone and showing back up again has shown me one thing, it's that I can't live without you, not really. I want you by my side, for better or worse. And I'm hoping you might be amenable to the idea."

The silence that followed Thor's confession was deafening. Thor tried to catch Loki's eye, but Loki turned away and looked out of the window, one hand pressed against his mouth. It was a lot to take in and not at all what he had been expecting. Feelings, yes, maybe even another "I love you". But this? This was serious. Thor was laying his future, his destiny, into Loki's hands. Thor, the big brother Loki had always admired and looked up to. And also envied, in his weaker moments. Thor, who had revealed his own weakness, who needed Loki.

Loki didn't know what to do.

"Say something, please," Thor said, his voice low.

Loki slowly turned his head back. After regarding Thor for a long moment, he said, "You do realize that you've just essentially proposed to me."

"Yes."

"Even though I'm your brother."

"Yes."

"Whom you haven't seen in almost a decade."

"Yes."

Loki let out a short, humourless laugh.

"This isn't just 'not healthy' or inappropriate. It's completely and utterly messed up, that's what it is." He shook his head before scrubbing a hand through his hair.

Thor reached for his tea. His hands trembled and Loki heard the cup rattling on its saucer as Thor raised it to take a sip.

"Maybe we haven't seen each other in person, but that doesn't mean we can't catch up on the times we missed. And it's not like we are total strangers. We were raised together, we share the same history. Growing up, we were practically inseparable," Thor said and laughed quietly. "God, we got into so much trouble back then thanks to your harebrained schemes. Did you know that our entire family is still banned from Ascot? The manager won't budge an inch despite Father donating a substantial amount of money to the rebuilding of the stables."

With a supreme effort of will Loki managed to refrain from laughing out loud. Malicious joy filled him as he pictured Odin's indignant face when he learned that money couldn't buy him everything.

Thor continued, "And for the fact that we're brothers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that didn't seem to bother you until now. If we're anything alike – and we seem to be pretty compatible in that regard so far – it just turns you on even more."

Loki blushed bright red. He hadn't realized that he had been so transparent. When Thor smirked at him, Loki flipped him the bird in response.

"So, don't tell me you've changed your mind and you're suddenly afraid of breaking society's taboos," Thor concluded.

"You make a very compelling case. I'm impressed. You should have become a proper lawyer," Loki said, nodding in approval. There was just one snag, one aspect that Thor hadn't considered but which was vitally important for Loki. His eyes turned calculating.

"Hypothetically speaking, let's say we do get involved. I assume you wouldn't mind if I continued to work as an escort?"

Thor gritted his teeth and looked to the floor, his hands clenching into tight fists. He didn't need to say anything; his reaction was answer enough for Loki.

"That's what I thought," he said.

"Working as an escort means that much to you?" Thor asked, incredulous.

"My independence does," Loki said. "I won't give up my job to play your little housewife, asking 'How was your day, honey?' when you return home from work."

"But you're willing to play the punching bag for guys like James?"

That hit close to home. Loki retaliated without thinking. "I'm certainly not going to submit to Odin again like you do."

They looked at each other for several long moments, neither of them saying anything, the air thick with tension. Then Thor got up.

"I'm going to bed," he said. "You're welcome to stay here if you still want to. The spare room is all yours. It's right next to the bathroom, you can't miss it."

"Thank you."

Thor nodded and turned to go, shoulders slumped in defeat. It pained Loki to see Thor like this, knowing that he was the one who had hurt him.

But he couldn't just fall into Thor's arms and proclaim his undying love for him, could he? What did Thor expect? He had to realize the enormity of what he was asking Loki to do.

Yet Loki couldn't let him leave, thinking he had been outright rejected.

Thor had almost closed the door behind him when Loki called out his name. Thor turned around again.

"I'm not saying 'No', you know. But I need some time to think, okay?" Loki said with as much sincerity as he could muster.

Thor's eyes softened and he replied, "Yeah, all right."

~~~

Loki listened to Thor ascending the stairs and rummaging around upstairs. A door was opened and closed, then another, before everything went quiet. Loki briefly considered going home but decided against it. He was so damn tired. He had been exhausted for days, but the events of the evening had taken their toll, draining him completely. Calling a cab to go back to a cold, empty flat and thus declining Thor's hospitality was too much hassle.

Mechanically, Loki started eating again. Perhaps that would help getting some of his energy back even though the chicken sandwiches were a paltry substitute for the Italian dinner he had missed. But at least he wasn't hungry any more. After finishing his cup of tea, he went upstairs, too.

The spare room was easy to find, just like Thor had said. There was a real bed with a proper mattress in it. Loki was pleasantly surprised; he had been expecting a sofa bed at most and had even been half prepared for a Lilo. But this was much better. He didn't even bother snooping around or taking a closer look at the boxes stacked in the corner, something he usually would have done to get a feel of his surroundings. No, all he wanted to do was sleep. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed.

His brain, however, hadn't got the message.

As soon as Loki got comfortable, it went into overdrive, replaying Thor's voice again and again like a really persistent earworm.

_You know that I love you._

_When you were standing in front of me, it was like colour had returned into my life._

_I can't live without you, I want you by my side, for better or worse._

Thor's proposal was so very tempting. But it meant leaving everything he had built for himself behind because Loki didn't believe for one second that Thor wouldn't take issue with him working as an escort. He had seen Thor's expression when he had suggested it and it had spoken volumes. Thor wasn't the type who shared.

He had had a point, though, with his remark of Loki being a punching bag for his clients. Loki had zero desire to play that role. He was capable of defending himself, of course, but this evening had shattered the illusion that he was invulnerable. He couldn't fool himself any longer that he had everything under control. If it hadn't been for Thor as well as his own intimate knowledge of James's sordid past … It didn't bear thinking about.

Loki turned onto his right side. Tonight had just been the sad highlight of the last couple of months, if he was honest with himself. Working as an escort was slowly but steadily losing its appeal to him.

He tried to imagine quitting his job and taking Thor up on his offer. He would see Odin again, presumably, and he would have to talk to him which was not something he was keen on. Seeing Frigga again, however, would be a silver lining. He missed her and there had been various moments in the past eight years when he had wished he could go to her for advice.

And there was a slim chance that it would be different now. Loki was no longer a child Odin could order about. He had his own flat, his own money, and could do as he pleased. Besides, wasn't there an old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer? He hadn't yet abandoned his idea to get his revenge on Odin. Maybe this was the way to go about it.

But what if Thor got fed up with him at some point and it didn't work out between them? Loki's blood ran cold at the mere idea.

That's when he realized that he didn't just want Thor because the sex was amazing.

No.

He was already well on his way of falling for his brother. Hard.

Fuck.

Loki flopped onto his back, scrubbed his hands over his face, and stared blindly at the ceiling.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

For a long time, he lay there in the dark and pondered the possibilities.

Then he took a deep breath and grabbed his phone, sending off a quick text message. His hand was shaking as he pressed send. As soon as he was done, he let the phone drop onto the covers like he'd been burned. All of a sudden he felt lonely and lost and he did what he had always done in such a situation since he had been a small child.

He sought out Thor.

After a short detour to the bathroom, he stopped in front of Thor's door, listening for any signs that he was still awake. But everything was quiet. Loki opened the door and made his way over to the king-sized bed, careful not to make any noise. Thor was sleeping on the far side, so Loki crawled onto the side closer to the door. When he tugged at the blanket, Thor grunted, and for a moment Loki feared that he had woken him up. Thor, however, turned over without making another sound, still fast asleep.

Thanking his lucky stars for the fact that Thor was a heavy sleeper, Loki curled up under the stolen covers and fell asleep, too.

~~~

Loki gradually drifted back into consciousness. Still half caught in that hazy space between sleep and full wakefulness, he cautiously opened one eye, only to squeeze it instantly shut again as bright light assaulted his senses. Shit, why hadn't he closed the curtains last night? Groaning, he tried to burrow deeper into his pillow. If he blocked out the offending brightness, maybe he could doze just a bit longer before the alarm went off and he had to get up.

But his pillow wasn't as pliable as it was supposed be. In fact, it was rather firm. And it was shaking.

The sound of suppressed laughter chased away the last cobwebs of sleep from Loki's brain and it all came back to him in a rush. Running into Thor. The unmitigated debacle with James. Thor's proposal.

And now he was lying half on top of Thor, using him as a pillow. Brilliant. There went the last shreds of his dignity. Not only did he need his big brother to protect him from his client. No, apparently he couldn't sleep without snuggling up to him, either. This time, Loki wanted to hide his face in embarrassment. And the worst thing about lying on Thor like this, being able to hear his steady heartbeat, was that it felt so damn _right_ that Loki didn't actually want to move at all.

"Good morning," Thor said. Loki swore that he could hear the smile in Thor's voice. He sounded irritatingly chipper.

Loki only grunted in reply. It was way too early for a proper conversation. Fortunately, Thor didn't seem to mind his unwillingness to talk. He began to run his fingers through Loki's hair.

"You're still here," he said after a while.

"Yeah." Loki wasn't sure what Thor was getting at. Where else would he be?

"I half expected you to be gone again come morning. Especially after everything I dumped on you last night."

Thor's hand stilled.

"Hey, keep going," Loki demanded before he could stop himself. Thor huffed out a laugh and resumed his stroking. It felt so wonderful that Loki wanted to purr.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

Thor eventually broke the comfortable silence.

"How's your face?" he asked.

Loki sat up against the headboard and touched his mouth and nose gingerly. They were still tender but not painful any more. Frigga's ointment and a restful night of sleep had worked wonders.

"Much better than yesterday," he said. He tried to smile at Thor and was relieved to find that it didn't hurt.

Now that he was properly awake, there was no point in trying to get back to sleep. He stretched luxuriously, fully aware of the fact that Thor was ogling him, and basked in the attention. It felt wonderful to be desired, even when he had just woken up and was still rumpled from sleep. He ran a hand down his chest to his groin, watching Thor watch its movement, unconsciously licking his lips.

Struck with a sudden impish impulse, Loki asked, "So, do I get breakfast in bed?"

Thor's head jerked up and he stared at Loki, his face scrunched up in distaste. Loki was well-aware of the fact that Thor would go out of his way to spoil his partners rotten. Breakfast in bed, though, was something he abhorred. No matter how many magazines and websites touted it as one of the ultimate ways to pamper someone, Thor refused to do it, claiming to be reminded of the times he had been forced to eat in bed as a child, too ill to get up. Loki recalled him complaining quite vocally about having to sleep amongst crumbs, too, like the princess and the pea.

Loki was delighted that he could still take the piss out of him.

When Loki's mouth twitched with the beginnings of a smirk, Thor realized that he had been played and he shoved at Loki's shoulder, saying, "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

Loki automatically shoved back and before they knew it, it escalated into a full-blown wrestling match with Thor trying to use his strength to pin Loki to the bed and Loki having none of it. He was as slippery as an eel, squirming out of Thor's grasp every time he thought he had won. Loki even wasn't above playing dirty and tickled Thor's sides until he was wheezing with laughter.

They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses too well for either of them to truly gain the upper hand for long. But eventually, after having kicked off all the blankets and pillows to the floor, Thor managed to grab Loki around the waist, flipped him over and rolled on top of him. Loki's breath rushed out of his lungs as Thor's weight crushed him. Before he was able to formulate another plan of attack, Thor had yanked his hands up and over his head, holding them in a firm grip.

"Got you," he said, a triumphant glitter in his eyes.

Loki struggled, testing Thor's hold on him, but he couldn't break it. He really was trapped this time. Even with his legs still mostly free, he couldn't get enough leverage to flip them over.

But when Thor asked him if he yielded, Loki realized the full potential of the position they were in. He would have laughed out loud if he had had enough air for it. Instead, he settled for dragging his foot slowly up the back of Thor's calf while closely watching his face for his reaction.

Gratified, he saw Thor's eyes flutter closed at the teasing contact. His grip on Loki's wrists, however, didn't loosen.

Dammit.

Time to step up the game, Loki thought.

He wrapped both his legs around Thor's waist and arched up as much as he could, rubbing his entire body against him. The friction felt wonderful, especially when Thor ground down in response, his cock pressing against Loki's through their pants. Loki noticed that Thor was getting hard and he smirked. Thor was so easy to manipulate sometimes. Now, all Loki needed to do was to distract him enough to get out of his hold. It'd be quite simple.

But then Thor opened his eyes again and their gazes locked. Loki's breath caught at the burning lust and desire he could see in them. Something deep within him ignited and he had just enough time to realize that he had severely miscalculated before he was swept away by his own desire.

He strained against Thor's grip, no longer trying to get away, but to get closer, desperate for more contact. As soon as Thor let go of him, he clutched at Thor's head, dragging him down for a kiss. It still hurt a little, but Loki welcomed the pain because it meant that he was alive, that he was here, and right now, he didn't want to be anywhere else.

Thor traced Loki's lower lip with his tongue and Loki opened his mouth with a moan, inviting Thor in. Their tongues met, stroked, a slick slide that had Loki gasping with pleasure. It was like it had been back at the Dorchester – a simple touch from Thor and he was more aroused than he had ever been with his clients. It was totally fucked up, but Loki couldn't deny that he wanted the touch of his brother, needed it, _craved_ it. And he was very, very glad that Thor felt the same way.

Keeping one hand tangled in Thor's hair, he raked the other down Thor's back, his fingernails leaving angry red lines on the sweat-slicked skin.

Thor tore away from the kiss, groaning loudly. "Oh fuck!"

His hips jerked forward and Loki hissed at the feeling of Thor's cock hot and hard against his own erection. It felt amazing and yet it wasn't enough. He needed more. He needed skin on skin.

Loki was scrambling to shove both his and Thor's boxers down at the same time when Thor suddenly pulled away from where he had been nibbling down Loki's neck.

"Wait, Loki … wait a second," he said, panting.

Loki froze, one hand in the air, the other on Thor's arse. He looked at Thor, alarmed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, praying that Thor wouldn't put a stop to the proceedings again. It was well within his rights, of course, but Loki really wanted to get off in the foreseeable future and preferably not by his own hand.

Thor swallowed and studied Loki's face as if searching for something. Then he said with a weak approximation of a smile, "Nothing. Never mind."

Loki wasn't convinced that Thor was telling the truth. He hesitated. Should he ask, even at the risk of killing the mood? Or should he not say anything, trusting Thor to tell him "No" in time? He had no intention of forcing Thor into anything and if there was something bothering him …

In the end, his musings were cut short when Thor got off the bed and took off his boxers.

Loki stared, renewed lust overriding any rational thoughts he might have had.

Thor looked magnificent. His skin appeared golden in the sunlight and Loki wanted to kiss, bite, mark it until everyone knew that Thor was his and his alone. He wanted to run his hands over Thor's arms and chest, touch the bulging muscles, feel them shift beneath his hands whenever Thor flexed. Hell, he wanted to touch him _everywhere_.

Loki's eyes dropped down to Thor's cock. It stood up proudly, thick and hard, the first drops of pre-come glistening at the tip. Loki's mouth watered and he licked his lips as he remembered how it had felt in his mouth, the weight of it on his tongue. When he looked up at Thor, he saw that his eyes had darkened with arousal. He was obviously remembering the same thing and Loki was relieved that they were on the same page again.

Without breaking eye contact, Loki shimmied out of his own pants and laid back down on the bed.

"Come here," he said, beckoning towards Thor.

Thor crawled onto the bed until he was on top of Loki, supporting himself on his elbows to keep his weight off of him. Loki made an exasperated noise. There was a time and place for considerate behaviour, but this was not it. He grabbed Thor's arse with both hands and pulled him down.

They both sucked in a sharp breath as their cocks came into direct contact. Loki's hips bucked up instinctively and he asked, breathless, "Like this, yeah?"

"Yeah, okay," Thor replied, already rutting against him, fast and dirty.

They fell into a rhythm and Loki moaned. It was so good, Thor hot and hard against him, above him, around him. He clutched at Thor's back, arms, shoulders, everywhere he could reach, needing something to hold on to as the first tendrils of his orgasm coiled within him. He tangled his fingers in Thor's hair and dragged him into a kiss. Thor let out a muffled groan as Loki licked his way into Thor's mouth, past his teeth, coaxing his tongue into play. The kiss turned wet and messy. Loki couldn't help but whimper when Thor sucked on his still tender bottom lip. It was exquisite, the perfect mix of pleasure and pain, and yet it wasn't enough to tip him over the edge.

Reluctantly, Loki broke the kiss to say, "Touch me. I need you to …"

Thor's eyes lit up as Loki took one of Thor's hands into his own and licked a broad stripe across the palm, getting it good and wet before guiding it between their bodies. Thor wrapped his hand around both of their erections. It wasn't what Loki had had in mind, but when Thor started jerking them at the same time, he had no complaints. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was amazing, feeling Thor's length sliding against his own, Thor's hand holding them tightly together, pre-come and spit slicking the way. Loki pressed his head back into the pillow, hips twitching up every time Thor managed to hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"Good?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, it's good. Can you just … your thumb … on the tip?"

Loki cried out as Thor did exactly that.

And he did even more. He started talking.

"Do you know how gorgeous you look? How good you feel in my hand? I want you to come all over us both. Want to lick it up, taste you." Thor's hand sped up. "Come for me, Loki. Now."

The mental image of Thor licking him clean might have been enough to trigger Loki's orgasm on its own, but hearing Thor saying his name, commanding him to come … Digging his heels into the mattress, Loki arched up, mouth open in a silent scream, and came in hot spurts, liberally coating his stomach and Thor's hand with spunk. Thor kept stroking him through it, only stopping when Loki weakly batted his hand away.

"Too sensitive," he croaked.

Thor immediately released him and began stroking his own cock, which was still rock hard. As soon as Loki had regained enough coordination, he reached out and caressed Thor's chest, smoothing his hands up to his shoulders, his nape, lingering over every spot that made Thor's breath hitch. When he traced a finger around one of Thor's nipples, Thor let out a whine. It sounded desperate and Loki decided to take pity on him. He grabbed Thor's arse again, kneading it before spreading the cheeks just far enough apart to trace one finger down the crack.

Thor's breathing grew ragged.

"I'm so close," he forced out between pants. "Inside me … Please!"

Loki obeyed. He rubbed over Thor's hole, once, twice, then pressed down with the tip of his finger. It was too dry to actually penetrate, but Thor groaned deep in his chest at the touch. The hand on his cock went faster and faster until it was a blur and he was coming, shudders wrecking him as he spent on Loki's chest and stomach. Loki's own cock twitched valiantly at the sight of his brother in the throes of orgasm. He was so entranced by the view that he didn't notice Thor collapsing above him in time. As it was, he landed half on top of Loki and it took some shoving and prodding until he rolled onto his back next to him.

For long minutes, they both just lay there, quietly enjoying the afterglow and waiting for their breaths to return to normal. Neither of them made any signs of wanting to move.

Loki chuckled. "That was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Thor said, a wistful tone in his voice.

After snatching a couple of tissues from a box on the bedside table and cleaning up the worst of the mess on his stomach, Loki turned onto his side and studied Thor.

He was still flushed from their encounter and his hair resembled a rat's nest thanks to Loki twisting his fingers in it during their tussle. He had his eyes closed and was smiling faintly. He was beautiful.

Unexpected affection rising within him, Loki was tempted to reach out and caress Thor's cheek, trace the stubbled jawline and those soft lips. But he withdrew his hand as he remembered that he still needed to tell Thor about what he had done last night. God, he really hoped it had been the right thing to do.

While he was gathering his thoughts, Thor had turned onto his side, too, and was regarding Loki intently.

They both spoke at the same time.

"Thor, I need to tell you –"

"I did some thinking last night –"

They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"You go first," Loki said.

Thor sighed, getting serious again. "I thought about what you said last night. About giving up your entire life. And I realized that I can't ask that of you. If you really want to, I'm not going to stop you from working as an escort. It's your choice. I can't say that I especially _like_ the idea of you working as an escort, but I can stand the idea of losing you again even less. Just … promise me you'll be careful."

And there was his noble brother. Suddenly, Loki knew he had made the right decision. His mouth curled into a half-smile.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," he said.

"What? Why?" Thor looked at him, confused.

Loki let him stew for a moment, then another one, before saying, "I did some thinking, too, and I texted the agency last night. I quit."

Loki could see the moment Thor realized what Loki was saying. Bracing himself for one of Thor's enormous hugs, he was a little surprised when Thor restrained himself and simply asked, "What did they say?"

"I don't know. I haven't checked my phone yet," Loki said. "But we don't have contracts or anything, so there's not much they can do to stop me. Some of my clients won't be pleased, I guess, but other than that, I'm out."

"Does that mean you're going to stay? With me?" Thor sounded hopeful.

"I want you, more than I've ever wanted anyone else before. But … I can't say that I'm in love with you." Loki didn't add, _at least not yet_.

Thor's face crumpled upon hearing Loki's words. Loki's chest ached with the knowledge that he was the cause of Thor's anguish, just because he was too much of a coward to reveal his own budding feelings. He couldn't bear the wounded look in Thor's eyes so he lowered his eyes as he continued, "I don't think I can ever be the person you think I am."

"You already are, Loki." Thor tipped Loki's chin up with a finger. "I love you just the way you are. You don't have to change for me."

"Thor, are you sure you want this?" Loki gestured between them, changing tack. He needed Thor to take off his rose-tinted spectacles and face what he was getting himself into. "Do you really want to take the risk of us being in a relationship? What we did – it's illegal. Not just here, but in almost every country in the world. We could go to jail over it. Do you understand? We got incredibly lucky yesterday."

"I know. It's a risk I am willing to take. And you and me together, we can make it work."

Thor was as serious as Loki had ever seen him which was reassuring. They might not like it, but Loki knew he was right. In hindsight he was furious with himself for being so careless yesterday. If this was going to work, they had to step up their game.

"We can't rely on luck. No one can know that we're more than brothers. We have to keep our relationship absolutely secret. From everyone. Odin will disown you, too, at the very least, if he ever finds out about us. I don't fancy seeing you in prison."

"Does that mean –?" Thor asked. Loki saw hope blossoming in his eyes again.

"I can't promise you anything." Loki twisted his fingers in Thor's hair, smiling slightly. "But, yes, I do. For you." He tugged on Thor's hair a bit harder than necessary, just enough to make it hurt. He was pleased to hear Thor's stifled moan. "Don't make me regret it."

"I swear I won't," Thor promised. His grin could have powered the entirety of London. Before Loki knew what was happening, Thor had slung his arms around him in a bone-crushing hug.

Loki indulged him for as long as possible, hugging Thor back just as tightly. Eventually, though, breathing became a necessity for him. He kicked at Thor's lower leg and wheezed, "Thor … need air …"

Thor let go and Loki rolled onto his back, inhaling deeply. He didn't know if it was the oxygen deprivation or something else, but he felt curiously light, almost giddy. He reached out for Thor and pulled him close again. Thor clung to Loki like a limpet and sighed contentedly.

Loki was tracing random patterns on Thor's back when Thor said, "You know, I've been wondering …" He trailed off.

Loki hummed encouragingly.

Thor cleared his throat and studied his hand that was resting on Loki's chest as if he had never seen it before.

"Did the video turn out any good?" he asked.

The words tumbled out of his mouth so fast that it took Loki a moment to figure out what Thor had said. Then he snorted. Trust Thor to worry about his performance abilities, even though there was absolutely no need to.

"I've lost count of how many times I've wanked to it," Loki said, choosing to be entirely honest for once.

"Show me," Thor demanded.

"The video or me wanking?"

"Both."

"You're insatiable." Loki grinned.

"Must be the company," Thor replied, clearly intending to tease.

But Loki didn't respond to the bait. Instead, he grew serious again. Something had been nagging at the back of his mind for some time now. He sat up, intent on resolving the issue once and for all.

"Why didn't you really stop me from filming us?" he asked.

Thor sat up, too. Astonished, he said, "I told you, I had more important things on my mind at that moment."

"Don't give me that nonsense. You must have realized how dangerous such a video would be."

Thor looked flattered at Loki's veiled compliment. Loki just raised an eyebrow. He wanted to hear more.

Thor sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"First of all, I trust you," he said. "And you're smart enough to know that the video incriminates not only me, but both of us. Of course, there would be a scandal if it ever surfaced. But – and please don't take this the wrong way – Father would find a way so that you were the only one to blame. He'd make sure you'd never see daylight again while ensuring that my reputation and thus, Asgard's reputation, remained intact."

Loki was taken aback by Thor's frank assessment. He wanted to argue, but to his dismay, he realized that Thor was right. It pained Loki to admit that he hadn't actually thought that far ahead. There was no way he would win in the end. Not as the disowned, adopted son, who had turned to a life as a whore. And that little detail would definitely come to light. He could already see the spin Odin would put on that and he was suddenly very glad that he hadn't uploaded the video anywhere.

Still, it was fucking unfair. No matter what he had done or would do, Odin always found a way to turn it into his advantage while Loki was left out in the cold.

The old, familiar rage bubbled up inside him. Trying to control it, he got up and said, "I'm going to clean up."

~~~

In the shower, Loki stood under the warm spray, tilting his head up, and let the water run over his face. It was relaxing and he felt himself calm down a little. It also helped that Thor stood behind him, a solid presence, one hand on his hip while the other ran a soft flannel in circles over Loki's stomach and chest. The motion was more of a caress than actual washing, but Loki didn't mind. He leant back into Thor and closed his eyes, enjoying being held like this.

Thor used the opportunity to nuzzle the crook of Loki's neck. His stubble tickled and Loki shivered at the pleasant sensation.

Noticing his reaction, Thor asked, "Good?"

"Yeah. Do it again."

Thor obliged and began to work his way up Loki's throat, little nips and kisses interspersed with the occasional lick, taking care not to leave any serious whisker burn.

"Father hired a private investigator to find you, you know," he said between one kiss and the next.

Loki involuntarily tensed at the mention of Odin.

"Oh, did he?" he said, striving to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible. He didn't fool Thor who tightened his arms around Loki in reassurance. 

"Yes, he was under the impression that the police weren't doing enough. So he hired the best investigator in all of London," Thor said.

"Well, he couldn't have been all that good now, could he?"

"What do you mean?"

Thor let go and Loki felt cold all of a sudden. Turning around, he saw that Thor was frowning.

"How difficult do you think it is to find a seventeen-year-old boy in London who ran away from home?" Loki asked.

He didn't tell Thor that the investigator had indeed managed to find him rather quickly. He had been prepared to take Loki back home immediately. Forced to think on his feet, the only thing Loki had been able to come up with on the fly was a sob story of how Odin was abusive and only wanted to have Loki found to ensure that word didn't get out about his tyranny. It had worked, to Loki's utter surprise, perhaps because it had been based on the truth. A bit of acting on Loki's part, a few well-timed tears, and the man had put his phone away, telling Loki that he wouldn't reveal his whereabouts to a child abuser.

Okay, the fact that Loki had let him fuck him had probably helped, too. The investigator had honestly believed himself to be Loki's first. He was truly the most gullible private investigator Loki had ever met. The only concession Loki had had to make was to let the rest of his family know that he was alive and well. Once he had sent the letter, the investigator had been satisfied in every way and Loki had been free to start his new life.

"And even if he were the best investigator in all of London, hell, even in all of England," Loki continued, smoothing his hands up and down Thor's arms before wrapping them around his waist. "Don't you think it'd have been more effective to hire an entire armada of them rather than just one person?" 

Thor looked contemplative.

It hadn't been his intention, but it occurred to Loki that while he might not be able to tear Odin down directly, there were other ways to hurt him. If he managed to discredit Odin in Thor's eyes, drive a wedge between them … It would be a difficult balancing act; he'd have to be careful not to alienate Thor in the process. But it wouldn't be impossible. And if he was successful, it would mean that he had Thor all to himself.

On a whim, Loki decided to test the waters. "Why didn't Odin use his connections to the government to put pressure on the police? That's what I'd have done if it had been my child that had gone missing. I'd use every resource available to me and leave no stone unturned until they were found."

Thor gripped Loki's shoulders, his thumbs digging into the muscle. "What are you saying?"

"Nothing. I don't know. I'm just thinking out loud." Loki shrugged. "Maybe I'm just that good at hiding. You know, you always lost when we were playing hide and seek."

Thor's jaw worked as he mulled it over. Loki wanted to crow in triumph. The first doubts had been successfully planted in Thor's mind. Now, Loki only needed to foster and encourage them to grow little by little until it was time to reap the fruits of his plan.

"Stop worrying. I'm sure Odin had his reasons," he said and pressed a chaste kiss to Thor's mouth. "Come on, let's get out. I'm turning into a prune."

When they were towelling off, Loki smirked. Odin wouldn't know what had hit him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading – I hope you enjoyed it!


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